Children's Boutiques on Rue Condorcet, Paris
Alice à Paris
64 Rue Condorcet
Metro: Pigalle
Paris
France
75009
Tel: 33 1 48 78 17 31
(Second Location: 41 Rue de l'Abbé Grégoire
Tel: 33 1 42 22 53 89)
Ube Ule
59 Rue Condorcet
Metro: Pigalle
Paris
France
75009
Tel: 33 1 45 26 93 63
Le Marchand d'Étoiles
42 Rue Condorcet
Metro: Anvers
Paris
France
75009
Tel: 33 1 48 78 83 38
Concierge.com's insider take:
Spend a day in the Luxembourg Gardens and you'll see that French children have as much style as their parents. The three excellent children's shops on Rue Condorcet—a headquarters of Parisian bo-bo life in the ninth arrondissement—are a good introduction to vêtements enfants beyond Bonpoint and Petit Bateau. Alice à Paris is like a child's answer to A.P.C.: You'll find simply cut basics for ages one month to 8 years that are smart without being too precious or too pricey. The duffel coats with horn closers (just like Paddington Bear's), drawstring harem-style pants (perhaps in paisley or denim), and Nehru-collar shirts are so popular that the designers have opened a second store on the Left Bank. Across the street, the bright aesthetic of Ube Ule focuses on imports from Belgium and Holland (best for ages 4 to 10). The shop is deliberately distracting—like a child's playroom—and is filled with lunchboxes, corduroy pantsuits, the owners' handmade line of printed cotton shirts and dresses, dangling mobiles, stacks of Petitcollin dolls (in production since 1860), and a toy crib (for sale) filled with hand-knit animals. Two blocks east, Marchand d'Étoiles translates to "merchant of the stars"—referring to dreamtime rather than Angelina Jolie. The jaunty cut of the pajamas (in cotton, linen, jersey, and fleece, for ages one month to 12 years) helps them easily transition from night to day. Among the pj's, you'll also find cosmetics, such as alcohol-free violet perfume, and a private line of pantoufles—dashingly pointy leather house slippers.
Alice à Paris is open Mondays 2 to 7:30 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays 11 am to 7:30 pm.
Ube Ule is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 9:30 am to 7 pm.
Marchand d'Étoiles is open Mondays 2 to 7 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays 11 am to 7 pm.
